NW and mrgybe--those of us on the forum appreciate your grasp of the complexities of global warming, and your sticking to the high road. We particularly appreciate your wide reading in the subject matter, your careful attention to the credibility of your sources, and your diligence in citing those sources. We understand how difficult it is to try to understand an opposing viewpoint, and we salute your efforts to comprehend an argument, and the logic behind it, rather than label those postings as "too long", or as "blather." And of course, we particularly appreciate your setting a good example by never resorting to personal attacks, or avoiding the subject.

Mr G..glad you brought up CALPERS. Just a few years ago, the critics and CA bashers were blasting away at the massive investment fund. Well, they killed it the laast two years, handily beating diversified benchmarks. It seems as if the highly anticipated Golden State meltdown is going exactly the opposite direction, as the state is running a surplus and the pension is at an all time high.

It's just as well that CALPERS is performing. It is a massive task to fund the bloated pension payments to lifetime government workers which are way beyond anything enjoyed by the pensioners of private companies. Hopefully most of those government pensioners are a little more educated than those who routinely impugn the companies that are securing their retirement. The more enlightened ones will understand that, they too, are owners of oil company stocks.

Calpers is the hands down worst organization I have ever dealt with. My parents have/had long term insurance policies with them. Like any insurance company they are in the business of NOT paying claims. To get refunded for assisted living expenses forms must be submitted every month from the assisted living facility, one T not crossed or i not dotted and it's rejected, only they don't tell you it's rejected, they just don't pay you. Finally they refused to pay for my father because he is allowed to leave the facility unescorted meaning he's not disabled enough. After the financial meltdown they became even more difficult to deal with as if that was possible. Nearly every year now they have been raising premiums and lowering benefits. The amount they might pay you for long term insurance is not even half of what it will actually cost someone for assisted living or nursing home care.
What happened was classic government mismanagement, they sold so many policies to retirees that when it suddenly came time to pay claims they had no money because they blew it on nonsense and risky investments.
When I tried to get help from the California Department of Insurance I learned that they are not under their jurisdiction because they are a quasi-government organization, it turns out that they are essentially unregulated, self-regulated I was told! I finally found an aide to one of our local elected politicians who was able to help a bit but in the end they still refused to pay.
The assisted living facility told me Calpers is hands down the worst organization to deal with comparing it to other private insurance companies and that is saying a LOT.

NW and mrgybe--those of us on the forum appreciate your grasp of the complexities of global warming, and your sticking to the high road. We particularly appreciate your wide reading in the subject matter, your careful attention to the credibility of your sources, and your diligence in citing those sources. We understand how difficult it is to try to understand an opposing viewpoint, and we salute your efforts to comprehend an argument, and the logic behind it, rather than label those postings as "too long", or as "blather." And of course, we particularly appreciate your setting a good example by never resorting to personal attacks, or avoiding the subject.

Ocean acidification as a consequence of burning fossil fuels has been mentioned here and elsewhere without much response from so-called conservatives, yet. But I wonder if it will become an influential argument for ending burning fossil fuels. With stories like this one:

"[...] Here in Washington’s Pacific inlets, oyster farmers are trying to adapt to the acidic waters by pumping their oyster hatcheries full of alkaline chemicals. But scientists say the acidity levels are only going to keep rising.
“We have a nursery where we’ve set oysters continuously, but now they can’t develop a healthy shell,” said Paul Taylor, whose family has farmed oysters for five generations in Dabob Bay, a pine-fringed inlet. “Right now, it’s just hurting the babies, and in a controlled environment, we can manipulate the chemicals to get those through. But I don’t know at what levels of acidification the adults won’t grow. That unknown is very scary.”
Mr. Taylor, who said his 500-employee company is the largest shellfish supplier in the Pacific Northwest, said he knows the climate policies Mr. Inslee (Gov. Wash.) is pushing could increase his energy costs. “I’m a businessman.” he said. “I know this could raise the cost of fuel for my boats and electricity for my buildings. But if this problem gets worse, and our oysters can’t grow, then we just go away as a business.” (From the NYTimes this Monday).

As presented here, it is something that affects a traditional, small business rather then something brought up by some aloof scientists. And oysters unable to form proper shells may be easier to appreciate than small increases in temperature that cannot be noticed by most people.

Not sure if GT's scientists from Russia have an answer for this. And, of course, if the low pH affected windsurf boards it would be a whole nother story.

There may not be an acceptable answer to stopping ocean acidification as a consequence of burning fossil fuels LHDR. Our evolved civilisation and current way of life, with all of its very real benefits, cannot continue WITHOUT ever increasing and abundant supplies of power. At present, this is only available from the 'burning' of fossil fuels. There is no viable alternative which wouldn't severely restrict our range of actions. We all know the problem, but what is the answer?

IF the cooling cycle does in fact take place, the warming 'disaster' would be averted for a couple of hundred years, during which time some major scientific breakthrough may occur, but at present we are stuck with ocean acidification regardless. Dangerous, of course, but the freedoms our way of life has given to us has consequences. (I suspect sir, you have a bee in your bonnet about us having the freedom to drive our motor cars, where and when and at what pace or distance we wish, as the whim takes us. )

In short, we all know the problem, but not yet the answer. Unlike the tree hugging hippies, we, in our well watered land, have no wish to give up our ways just to sit in a field full of daises, strumming a guitar (I prefer a grand piano in a heated and lit concert hall) and singing silly songs.

So please sir, present a viable alternative which will give EQUAL freedom which we presently enjoy, and we will change our wicked ways!

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